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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — low music
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com